Cae coupling



(No Model.) 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 P. M'ADS EN.

GAR COUPLING. v No. 291,753. Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. MADSEN. I

GAR COUPLING. No. 291,753. I Patented Jan. 8, 1884 INVENTOR ATTON YS.

N. PETERS. Phamuma m mr. Washington. D c.

UNITED STATES PATE T 'Qtrrrira PETER MADSEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,753, dated January8, 1884.

Application filed November 30, 1883. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER MADsnN, a sub ject of the Kingdom of Prussia,German Empire, residing at the city of Berlin, in the Kingdom ofPrussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway-Oar Couplings, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to an improved coupling for passenger andfreight cars, which can be operated from either side of the cars withoutrequiring the brakeman to enter between the cars for holding the link;and the invention consists of a coupling-chain, which is pivoted to alongitudinally-adjustable slidepiece of the draw-bar, and operated fromthe side of the car by a lever mechanism connected to the main link ofthe coupling-chain, and of an adjusting mechanism by which thecoupling-chain is drawn taut when placed in position on the draw-bar ofthe next car.

It also consits of a coupling-hook pivoted to the slide-piece of thedraw-bar, said couplinghook forming, with the coupling-chain of the nextcar, an auxiliary coupling for the cars.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent a verticallongitudinal section and a plan of my improved car-coupling, sh owingthe coupling raised and in the act of being coupled. Fig. 2 is a detailof the drawbar and auxiliary coupling-hook. Figs. 3 and 4 are averticallongitudinal section and a plan, showing the cars coupled and thecouplingchain drawn taut; and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section,on a larger scale, of the main link of the coupling-chain.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre: sponding parts.

G O in the drawings represent the drawbars, which are applied in anyapproved manner to the bottom frame of th ecars. The drawbars 0 G areprovided with hook-shaped ends, and provided at their lower part, backof the hooks, with slots that serve to guide a slidepiece, I). Theslide-piece 1) serves also as a serew-nut for a spindle, c, that issupported in bearings of the draw-bar and extended back of a shoulder,q, of the same, it being provided immediately back of the shoulder witha collar, r, by which the spindle bears against the shoulder q, so thatit can resist the strain exerted upon itin longitudinal direction. Thespindle c is provided at its rear end with a worm-wheel, d, with whichgears a worm, f, that is splined to a transverse crank-shaft, c, whichextends across the bottom frame of the car, and is guided in slottedside straps, e, as

shown in Fig. 3. The crank-shaft e is turned by cranks g at its ends inone or the opposite direction. It is rigidly connected at its cen terwith the draw-bar G by a central barrelshaped bearing, .9, so that it iscompelled to follow the motions of the draw-bar C. By turning thecrank-shaft c in one or the opposite direction, the slide-piece b can beadjusted forward or backward. To the slide-piece b is pivoted theU-shaped link B of the couplingchain, which consists, besides the linkB, of a short intermediate link, a, and a longer main link, A. To thepivot of the slide-piece b is further applied a coupling-hook, D, whichis engaged by side lugs of the link B, so that the latter takes the hookD along when it is lifted, as shown in Fig. 2, while otherwise the hookD is free to move in upward direction, as shown by the relativepositions of link B and hook D in Figs. 1 and 3.

The main link A is provided at one side with a guiderrod, a, of squarecross-section, which is rigidly attached to fixed lugs a at one side ofthe link A. ,A connecting-piece, m, having a heel, m, is guided by asquare opening on the fixed guide-rod n of the main link A, and firmlyattached by a screw-nut, h, as shown in Fig. 4:, to the outer end of ajointed lever, h h, the arm h of which is rigidly attached to alaterallysliding and axially-turning rod, i, that turns in bearings k isat the end of the bottom frame of the car. The ends of the transverserod 03 are bent at right angles so as to form handles 1', by which theguide-rod i can be pushed sidewise and turned in its bearings 7; It, asrequired. The lever h is pivoted to the lever-arm h at o in such amanner that the lever h can only be turned in upward direction, but notin downward direction, as a stop-shoulder of the lever-arm h preventsits motion in downward direction. As soon as the lever-arm h is liftedby the rod 2', the lever h forms a straight rod therewith, as

shown in Fig. 1, while when the lever-arm h is lowered with the rod ithe outer lever, h, turns on the pivot 0 and assumes an angular positionto the arm h, as shown in Fig. 2. By the connecting-piece m and its heelm, the coupling-chain is raised or lowered with the levers h h, as theheel m takes below one side of the main link A, as shown clearly in Fig.4, and also moved laterally in connection with the laterally-shiftingmotion of the rod 2'.

My improved coupling is operated as follows: The brakeman takes hold ofthe handle 13 of the rod z, moves the same laterally toward him, andturns the same simultaneously in upward direction, so that it movesthrough an angle of somewhat more than ninety degrees. By means of thejointed lever h h, the connecting-piece m m moves along the guide-rod nof the main link A to the fore end of said rod, and lifts thecoupling-chain from its lower pendent position (shown in dotted lines inFig. 1) into the raised position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The rod 73 isnow pushed laterally away from the brakeinan until the lever-arm hisstopped by the central bearing, k. The handle is now dropped, wherebythe main link A is placed over the hook-shaped end of the draw-bar O ofthe next adjoining car. The cars are thus connected sufficiently, sothat they can be readily made up in trains. When the train is made up,the coupling-chain of each coupling is pulled taut by the brakeman, whoturns the crank so that by the motion of the shaft 0, worm f, worm-wheeld, and screw-spindle c the slide-piece is moved backward, and therebythe coupling-chain B a A. stretched taut, as shown in Fig. 3. Theauxiliary coupling of the cars is then accomplished by plac ing thecoupling-chain of the next adjoining car over the coupling-hook D of thefirst car, for which purpose the coupling-chain is lifted by the lever hh and rod i high enough that the main link A is intermediately betweenthe link B and the coupling-hook D. The handle i is then dropped, sothat the main link A drops over the hook D. In this manner the cars aredoubly coupled for the regular running of the trains, the mainconnection being made by the tautly-stretched coupling-chain or one car,and the auxiliary connection by the coupling'chain of the next car andthe coupling-hook of the first car. To uncouple the cars, the sameoperations are accomplished in reverse order.

My coupling has the advantage that it can be coupled quickly andconveniently from either side of the car without danger to life andlimb; that it can be coupled with the common draw-head and coupling-pinheretofore in use, and that it can be coupled with cars of differentheight and having buffers of varying lengths. It also enables thecoupling of cars when they have approached very closely to each other,as the coupling-chain can be drawn taut, so as to produce,notwithstanding the short distance between the buffers, the reliablecoupling of the cars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of a slotted draw-bar, having ahook-shaped end, a coupling-chain composed of several links, the rearlink being pivoted to aslide-piece of the draw-bar, means connected tothe slide-piece for adjusting the same in forward or backward directionon the draw-bar, and a lever mechanism connected to the outermost link,whereby the couplingchain is raised or lowered and shifted laterally,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of aslotted draw-bar, 0, having a hook-shaped end,slide-piece b, coupling-chain B a A, pivoted by link B to the slidepieceI), screw-spindle c, turning on bearings of the draw-bar, a worm-wheel,(l, transverse crank-shaft e, guided in slotted side straps, e, andhaving a central worm, f, and cranks g at the ends, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination of a slotted draw-bar, 0, having a hook-shaped end,and slide-piece b, a coupling-chain, B a A, pivoted to the slidepiece b,pivoted levers h h, having connectingpiece on m at the outer end, thelatter being guided along the rod n. of the main link A, and alaterallysliding and auxiliary turning rod, z, having handles i,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a slotted draw-bar having a fork-shaped end, acoupling-chain pivoted to the slide-piece of the draw-bar, acoupling-hook, also pivoted to the slide-piece, means to adjust thecoupling-chain and coupling-hook forward or backward, and means wherebythe same are raised or lowered for coupling or uncoupling, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER MADSEN. Witnesses:

N. MI'JHLE, B. R01.

